Product Description

With a new introduction by Chris HarmanDesigned especially for contemporary audiences,this new, very reasonably priced edition of Marx'sclassic international best-seller also features anew glossary explaining difficult terms toreaders."The Communist Manifesto is a text for today. InSeattle at the very end of the 20th century a newanti-capitalist movement was born. This remains amanifesto for it." - Chris Harman, from theIntroduction

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #318144 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Customer Reviews

Nice compact edition of an important historical document
Very smart of Bookmarks Publications to print a compact pamphlet-edition of the Communist Manifesto, allowing everyone to get hold of a handy copy for a very small fee. While the foreword is written by one of the Socialist Worker staff, hence it's somewhat (ok that's an understatement) biased, at least it dispenses with the usual hundereds of pages of commentary that frequently occupy publications of this 30-page document. Previously myself and others felt it was necessary to plough through these lengthy (and often misleading) introductions before reading the thing itself, and as a result people often give up before making it that far. It turns out you don't really need to do that as the thing largely speaks for itself; the style is usually quite clear and accessible and the parts that don't seem to make sense are usually the parts that refer to persons or parties of the time (i.e that are out of date).

As for the thing itself, I think I'll avoid saying anything too inflammatory in this review. I think that whether you agree with Marx or not, everyone should read this document (no excuse now it only costs a quid). A lot of people make vast sweeping statements about how Marx was completely wrong when they (and I don't mean everyone) in fact haven't even read the Communist Manifesto. If you can't even be bothered to read 30 pages of relatively easy reading then how can you talk about such things? In any case, Marx is in fact very misunderstood, which is only inevitable given how disagreeable his ideas (the ones he *did* have not the ones people wrongly associate with him) are to some people. You need to read this to understand what Marx was actually for, and what he in fact wasn't. To put it more blunty: no system that has in history been labelled 'Communist' can actually be said to have any real relation to what Marx proposed, but rather were hiding behind the label to cover up their wrongdoings.

That said, you don't get a very in-depth idea of what Marx stood for, it's more of an introduction to Marxism. A Socialist friend of mine has recommended going on to read The German Ideology then Capital, also by Marx, in order to find out more.

unite!
Wow. This is something special.

Born merely a handful of years before the fall of the Berlin Wall I have little recollection of communism and the culture of fear surrounding all party members. I can't remember Stalin's iron curtain or any of that so I feel free and easy to say - works for me!

This teeny little book (you could even call it a leaflet) has captured nations and driven them to fight for equality and trust me - it does pack a punch.

Sitting in my little semi-suburban farmhouse I contemplate this rousing and anti-bourgeoisie propaganda. I think of the little school I went to, and my beautiful christmas presents and my little fiat punto and I really have no cause to rise up against anyone.

But I want to.

That is what is so brilliant about it. I want to grab my pitchfork and sing with all the proles around the world and fight for freedom against capitalism.

It is such a beautifully simple idea that only when you grab your history textbook you realise that in practice, not so good. I would gladly give up my private property and receive a fair share (okay, I rent, but I would give up my Punto).

Or would I?

This challenges your morals and values, makes you think more than any other thing that I have ever read. Are we just materialistic hounds who ignore the poor and weak, just because we are crawling our way up to riches?

Read it and see what you think. Honestly, it may shock you.

PS - let me know if you feel a revolution coming on(!)

Karl Marx is the opiate of the masses
He doesn't like money. He doesn't like religion. And he sure as hell doesn't like you. Karl Marx is a straight up dude with a gnarly attitude and a chip on both shoulders that reads "SOCIALISM". If you're smart enough to make sense of that then you might be smart enough to read this book.

If you liked "Das Kapital" you'll love this sequel, being as it is a rollercoaster ride through the myriad madcap memes of a zany philosophising messiah and his own twelve apostles, all of whom are called Engels.

Socialism - you thought you knew. You had no idea. This book is sick.